Forgotten Years
by TayRaeOhSunShine
Summary: Modern AU: It's been three years since Sakura saw Naruto and Sasuke. Her daily routine is thrown off it's axis when her old comrades all of a sudden decide to visit. Will the reunion bring a great adventure, or great sadness? Team Seven fanfic, possibility of SasuSaku. Changed rating for possibility of violence and language and such
1. Unexpected

((There are a couple of things I want to clarify about this fanfiction. It's set in modern times. Pink is not a natural hair colour, so I've opted for Sakura to have a light auburn/strawberry blonde hair. That's my theory anyways. Also, the idea came partly from Dolly Parton's song Jolene ("With flaming locks of auburn hair, with ivory skin and eyes of emerald-green"), the lyric has always made me think of Sakura. They are now 18 years of age. This is not an Uchiha massacre universe, but things shall be explained later. This may turn into Sasusaku due to the fact that it's my otp, but the beginning is going to be mostly team seven. Anything that seems vague will be explained later. The outfit Sakura is wearing is on my Polyvore account if you want a clearer image of what she is wearing ( haruno_sakura/set?id=79374143). It is based on of her look in my Sims4 version of her, but yea. I don't own Naruto. Now I'm rambling. Please enjoy the story and I do appreciate feedback.))

* * *

><p><span><strong>Forgotten Years<strong>

**Unexpected**

Sakura walked briskly through the busy streets of downtown Konoha, greeting the familiar faces that walked by. Her long light-auburn hair, with ends dyed a pink that could rival her namesake, swayed with the brisk autumn air. She was exhausted from a long day working at the hospital, and wanted to get home before night fell. She sighed in relief as she approached her house and began digging in her bag to find her keys. After fiddling with the lock for a couple of minutes, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. It was a letter in her mailbox.

'_Huh, that's peculiar, I thought I got all my mail this morning before I left for my shift.'_

She thought to herself as she reached over and grabbed the letter. Sakura waited until she was in her house to look at the letter. Her name was handwritten somewhat messily on the front, but there was no return address. She raised an eyebrow and proceeded to open the letter. She read it carefully, as to not miss anything important.

_Sakura-chan!_

_It's been a while hey? I hope you are doing well!_

_I know it's been about almost three years since I've seen you but I've been really busy here with Jiraya and training, but I thought while I had some free time I would come and visit you! I ran into that teme Sasuke too and I am dragging him along with me! All three of us will be together again like when we were younger! Maybe we can even visit Kakashi and have a full reunion! _

_Naruto_

_P.S. We'll be in Konoha on the 22 of September in the evening so I hope you have ramen for when we get here!_

Her emerald eyes scanned the letter over and over, taking in every single syllable before plopping onto her couch. She ran a hand messily through her hair and reached for a picture frame situated on the end table to her right. It was a portrait from eight years ago of Naruto, Sasuke, and herself from when they were in school together. The three of them were near inseparable when they were in school, and standing behind them was their teacher Kakashi. She chuckled softly at the photo. Naruto and Sasuke were fighting, and Kakashi had his hands on their heads, trying to keep them at bay, and Sakura was in the middle, seemingly oblivious to it all. Her smile slowly faded to a melancholy expression. Despite all the good memories she had with them, there were a lot of sad memories as well. One night, Sasuke up and left the town, without telling anyone. She out of pure coincidence ran into him as he was trying to leave and attempted to stop him, but to no avail. It was heartbreaking for her, and Naruto tried to find him to bring him back, with no success.

Not long after Naruto was offered by his god father Jiraya go with him around the country to learn and train under him, and once he left, she was all alone. The first six months were the hardest, the people she was closest to just left her there, to do whatever it is they were doing, and she was back at home, doing nothing. She eventually convinced Tsunade to let her apprentice under her so she could work in the hospital. Not only was Tsunade the best medic in Konoha, but she also ran the town along with a few appointed counsellors, and she was very busy. Sakura excelled in her studies, and was near her teacher's level in about a year and a half. It was decided by Tsunade and herself she would apprentice under the more seasoned doctors at the hospital for experience in the field, since it was very rare that Tsunade had the time to leave her office to go properly teach her at the hospital.

As her mind slowly came back to the present, panic overtook her sad thoughts. They were coming on the twenty-second. The twenty-second was tomorrow. She cursed the postal service for only getting this letter now. She wasn't exactly ready to have guests at her house. But she couldn't just tell them to go somewhere else, not right away at least. Muttering curses under her breath, Sakura stood and paced around her house, trying to figure out the best plan of action. She had only one spare bedroom they could use, and there was no way in hell either one of them would be sharing a room with her. There was the possibility of Naruto and Sasuke sharing the spare bedroom, but she knew these boys, all they would do is argue and complain. She put her hands on her temples and rubbed them in circular motions, hoping it would get some ideas flowing. With a small 'aha!' she smiled and went back down into the living room area of the house. She would have to move the coffee table and some other things around, but one of them can use the fold out bed in the living room. An aggravated sigh escaped her lips as she walked to her bedroom, she would move the furniture tomorrow morning. For now, it was time for her to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>Naruto and a very apprehensive Sasuke were driving down the main road that led to Konoha. They had been on their way to Konoha for a little under a month. By pure accident did Naruto and Sasuke cross paths in another town, and after many arguments, Naruto had gotten Sasuke to come with him back to Konoha.<p>

"Come on teme-"

"No."

"It'll be fun I promise!"

"No."

"Sasuke-"

"Loser"

"Gah! That's it! You're going to have a good time whether you like it or not!"

"Hn."

Naruto knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with Sasuke right now. They were both equally as stubborn, even as they got older. Naruto had left with Jiraya to train and see the world so he could become stronger and maybe run Konoha just as Tsunade and those before him did. Naruto lost his parents when he was just a baby, so he didn't really know anything about family, but he ended up finding that in Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi. He only found out later on that Jiraya was his god father. Naruto was excited and anxious to return to Konoha, he had been gone for so long, but he wanted to keep fostering those ties with his friends, and hoped no one else would have to endure such loneliness like he did as a child.

"I wonder what Sakura-chan looks like now…"

Naruto said absentmindedly. Sasuke said nothing, just looked out the car window at the setting sun. He lost his parents when he was eight, and he never really knew his older brother. Sasuke left because he not only thought he could find his brother and find out why he left, but he felt that Konoha had nothing left to offer him, and he didn't intend on coming back. He didn't know why he was coming along in the first place. After three years however, he came across nothing. Sasuke started wandering and doing odd jobs in other towns and villiages to get by while trying to figure out what he was going to do with his life. He didn't expect to run into Naruto, nor did he think it would be convinced by that idiot to return to Konoha. His mind drifted back to the dobe's comment on Sakura. A vivid image came to mind: Her interest in him was no secret, and he found it annoying at times. She was smart, one of the top in their class; but, despite that she could be as loud and obnoxious as Naruto. She was also kind and gentle, often a mediator between many arguments, but accepted both of them despite everything they did. She was the glue that kept them all together. She was a tomboy when she was younger, and often got teased about her forehead and her boyish figure, but the two things that made her stand out was her light auburn hair- which in certain lights could mimic a light pink, and her deep green eyes. They were such a captivating colour, not that Sasuke would admit that out loud. He walked away from Konoha three years ago, and despite Naruto's reassurance that things would be fine, he himself was not so sure.

* * *

><p>Sakura spent a good majority of the morning cleaning her house so it was ready for Naruto and Sasuke when they arrived. She was glad she opted to renting a house than living in an apartment complex. The extra space would come in handy. She moved the furniture in the living room around so the couch could be folded into a bed come night time. One the basic cleaning was done she went through the kitchen. She would need to go to the store and pick up some food, but first she needed to get dressed.<p>

Sakura walked out of her house wearing a floor length white maxi skirt and a zip up black crop top. Overtop was a red cardigan with a belt that sat just below her natural waist. Black pointed flats made a faint tapping noise as she walked down the street to the nearby grocery store. A black cross-body bag bounced at her hip. Her nails were ornately painted like cherry blossoms, and a ring on her right index finger also portrayed her namesake. Her makeup was simple, black winged eyeliner and a neutral pink lipstick. Her hair was loosely curled and fell just past her shoulder blades. She grew out of her tomboy phase, and with the help of Ino and a couple other friends, was able to dress like a somewhat fashionable woman. She ran into a few comrades during her errands, but that was to be expected in such a small town like Konoha.

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned in the direction of the voice, to see Lee running towards her. She chuckled softly and waved. "Hello Lee. How are you today?"

"I am fine Sakura! And you look as beautiful as ever! Would you please go out with me tonight?"

Sakura chuckled softly, some things never change. "I'm sorry Lee, I can't go out with you, you know I don't see you in the same way. I also have some friends coming in tonight and I will be preoccupied with them for the next couple days or so while they are in town."

"I see. I understand Sakura. Would you then give me the honour of helping you get your groceries home?"

She smiled and gave a small nod as she handed one of the grocery bags over to him. Sakura met Lee when she started high school. He was a year older than her and asked her out every time he saw her, which at first she found very annoying. Now that they weren't in school he stopped asking her out as much, and they became good friends. Their visit was brief as he left shortly after helping her with the groceries. There was still some time to spare before Naruto and Sasuke were to arrive, and nervousness started to well up in the pit of her stomach. She put on the kettle to make some tea. She sat on her couch, sipping on her tea and reading one of her medical textbooks. She was then pulled out of her thoughts at a loud banging at the door.

_**Thump, Thump, Thump!**_

The knocking sounded like her heart as she stood abruptly. She took a deep breath and approached the door. This was it. The two boys she had known for most of her life were waiting outside her door, yet she had no idea what to expect.


	2. Reunion

((Just a bit of a clarification. I know that 18 seems young to be working in a hospital, especially in Sakura`s position. While I`m keeping a modern setting, idk. I really have no explanation for it. Sorry, it`s shorter than my first chapter as well, and trust me, I have some things planned next chapter for team seven. If you look up TaylorFreezie on Polyvore, you`ll find the outfits for Sasuke and Naruto that I describe :P I hope you enjoy!))

**Forgotten Years**

** Reunion**

It wasn't much longer until the two men reached Konoha. It was a lot busier than either one of them remembered. It was still fairly small as far as towns go, but it held a lot of memories. After a bit of aimless driving and arguing, the two finally found where Sakura was staying and parked the car out front. It was around seven in the evening when Naruto and Sasuke approached their old friends home, and the sun was beginning to set. A million things raced through Sasuke's head as they walked up the small set of stairs to the front door. Things could go well, and to plan; but, so many things could go horribly wrong. She could not be home, she could not be expecting them, and she might not even want them there. There were way too many possibilities.

"How did you find out where she lived?" Sasuke found himself asking. Naruto looked over his shoulder at him, a confused look written on his face.

"I asked Jiraya to ask Tsunade the last time they spoke." He said nonchalantly. A small 'tch' escaped Sasuke's lips as Naruto banged on the front door.

**Bang, Bang, Bang!**

* * *

><p>The sound of rustling from inside the building could be heard as the two men waited. The doorknob turned and the door swung open and revealed a young woman. Sasuke's face was expressionless, but inside he was surprised. Was this really Sakura? Like Naruto and himself, she had gotten slightly taller and had a more mature look to her. The young, bubbly fan girl turned friend he remembered was now replaced with a mature young woman. She had grown her hair out long again, and he noted the ends were a vibrant pink in contrast to her natural auburn colour. Her skin was pale, like porcelain, and it only helped to bring out the vibrant green of her eyes. She had a slender frame, but even with her sweater on; he could tell her arms, along with the rest of her, was toned and strong from years of training. She no longer dressed in baggy boyish clothes, but like the beautiful woman she had become. But he would never say that out loud. "Sakura, huh?" He said mostly to himself.<p>

"It's been a while, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as he came forward and embraced his friend.

* * *

><p>Sakura paused in front of her front door, feeling excited, anxious, and uncertain, but confident all at the same time. A million thoughts raced through her head: Was she prepared for this? Would they be the same people she remembered from so many years ago? What if they didn't like who she had become? She took a deep breath and decided that sooner or later she would have to open the door and face whatever was on the other side. A look of surprise came across her face as she opened the door and instantly focused in on Naruto standing right in front of her. Naruto was wearing khaki coloured jeans and an orange t-shirt with a navy blazer. He still wore the necklace Tsunade had entrusted to him from so many years ago. His hair had grown longer, but it was still the blonde spiky mess she remembered. He was now a couple inches taller than her and she had to tilt her head to look him in the eye. His eyes were a bright Egyptian blue colour and so full of energy. She chuckled; he still had that goofy ear to ear grin plastered on his face. <em>'Wow, how you've changed… Naruto…'<em> she thought to herself, her surprised expression turning to a soft smile.

"It's been a while, Sakura-chan!"

All of a sudden the blonde embraced Sakura, causing her to slightly lose balance. She adjusted her footing so they wouldn't topple over before returning the hug. It was so nostalgic to see him. "My my Naruto! You're taller than me now! When did you get into town?" She asked as she stepped back and dusted her skirt off.

"We just got in an hour or so ago, it took me a bit to find your house though-"

"That's because you got lost, idiot."

Sakura stiffened slightly, but not enough to notice, and looked towards the other voice. She had completely forgotten that Sasuke was with him. She took a minute to really _look_ at him. He was a good six or seven inches taller than she was now, and had his usual bored expression on his face. His hair was slightly longer as well, but he was wearing a toque so she couldn't tell if it was still spiky like a duck's butt. He wore a basic jean and t-shirt combo like Naruto, but with a leather jacket over top. Typical of Sasuke, his attire was black and white. He had filled out in the shoulders and had more angular, well defined features. That's when their eyes met; onyx and emerald. Something about those eyes always captivated Sakura. There was some uncertainty in his eyes, and some annoyance, but there was something else. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. "It's good to see you… Sasuke."

"Hn."

She wasn't surprised by his lack of a response, so she instead turned her attention back to Naruto. "You both have changed so much, what about me?" She asked him, a sheepish grin on her face.

"No worries Sakura, you haven't changed one bit!" Naruto announced, giving her an enthusiastic thumbs up. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Sakura looked at him like he was a complete idiot before effortlessly punching him in the face. He tumbled down the small set of stairs that led up to the door way and landed face first on the front lawn.

"You idiot! You haven't changed at all!" Sakura exclaimed, irritation in her voice as she shook his shoulders. Naruto just sat there, knowing if he tried saying anything else, it would only get him in more trouble than he was already in.

'_Just like I thought, Sakura-chan hasn't changed one bit over the past couple years'_ Naruto thought to himself as he stood up and dusted himself off. Sakura composed herself and grabbed the two duffle bags that the two men left on the doorstep and invited them both inside. She led them into the living room before setting their stuff off to the side.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so, since you're staying here for I don't know how long. I'm going to lay down the ground rules. Pick up after yourself and clean up your messes-"Naruto knew those were more specifically for him. "Now, I don't have set work shifts and I am occasionally asked to come into work in the middle of the night. So, if you wake and I'm not there, I'll be at the hospital. I will try and leave a note by the fridge depending on the severity of the situation. About rooms, my room is up the stairs and down the hall, and is the last door on the right. The first door on the right is the bathroom and the room on the left is the spare room. Seeing as I only have one guest room, one of you will have to stay on the fold out couch here. I don't really care personally who stays where, as long as I don't find anyone in my room without permission, things should go by fairly smoothly."<p>

Sakura sat in a chair across from the couch that Naruto and Sasuke were sitting in. All three were staring intently at each other. All could agree they felt some nostalgia being in the same place like this, but there was a hint of awkwardness. But it wasn't that surprising, they hadn't seen each other in three years. Sasuke was the most uncomfortable, he didn't want to be there, but at the same time, it felt right to be there. He hated it. He hated that feeling of confusion, he hated Naruto for dragging him back to a place he never wanted to return to, and he hated that Sakura had matured and grown into the woman she was now. He wanted to know how much she changed, but at the same time he didn't. Everyone seemed to be at a loss for words until a very large grumbling noise came out of Naruto's stomach. Sakura laughed- the same musical laugh they both remembered.

"You guys must not have gotten a chance to eat when on the road. I picked up groceries so I can always make you guys something if you-"

She was cut off by a loud obnoxious ringtone from her phone. One that alerted her it was the hospital calling.

"Sakura Haruno… Yes… Oh?... What's the condition?... Okay… Uh huh… Okay… I see. *sigh* I'm actually a little busy at the moment… Yes… Yes… Yes… Did that stabilize him? Perfect… Keep me updated. I can come in first thing in the morning and check the status. Wonderful… Please leave the files on my desk and I will take a look at them… If something happens and it's dire, call me again and I'll come in. Thank you… okay… Have a good night. Bye"

"What was that all about Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, a curious expression across his face. Sasuke's eyebrow was raised in her direction, an indication that he was interested in her answer.

"Oh, just an issue at the hospital. A random civilian was brought in, nearly beaten to death with a broken arm and a couple other broken bones. He wasn't responding to any of the medication or stimulation the nurses were trying, but as we were talking he seemed to stabalize." She walked over and grabbed the medical textbooks she left on the coffee table and proceeded to put them away. "Hopefully he stays stable overnight and I'll head to the hospital in the morning and check his vitals. It shouldn't take too long, and both of you can join me in my office if you have nothing to do. Then maybe we can have lunch. I'm sure Kakashi would be interested in seeing you both."

"Hn."

"Yea! That sounds great Sakura-chan!"Naruto exclaimed as he stood and put his arm on Sakura's shoulder. "We can take you in my car tomorrow. There's so many places I wanna go see!"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Sounds good, Naruto. Please, make yourselves comfortable. I think I'm going to go to bed, since we're going to have an early morning. Good night Naruto… Sasuke."

Sasuke merely nodded his head as she excused herself. Sasuke was then met by a glare from the other male in the room.

"Really teme? You couldn't think of anything to say to Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke furrowed his brow. What was he supposed to say? How much he _enjoyed_ seeing her and a place he didn't want to see again? He wasn't one to lie. After a bout of arguing back and forth, it was decided that Naruto got the fold out bed, and Sasuke would take the spare room. Nothing else was said that night as the old friends slept in their respective areas of the house. It had been an awkward first meeting, but hopefully tomorrow would prove to be more exciting.


	3. Surprises

((Lol sorry everyone for not posting in a while, I got busy with work/applying for school and such. I was going to post yesterday but with the new Naruto chapter that came out I literally did nothing but freak out about it. Also- PLOT TWIIIIIST. It will all be explained next time :D hahaha. Anyways, enjoy!))

**Forgotten Years**

**Surprises**

* * *

><p>Sakura woke up to the buzz of her alarm clock. Groaning, she turned to check the time- six thirty. She slowly got out of bed and made her way downstairs to make breakfast for her and her guests. Hearing the faint sound of snoring, she turned her attention to the living room where she noted that Naruto was sleeping on the fold out bed. Sakura put the kettle on for tea and lightly stretched, hoping to make herself more awake. She wore plain red flannel shorts and a black tank top that slightly showed her stomach. She didn't think the others would mind, given how long they knew each other.<p>

She had a fairly boring agenda for herself, having to go to the hospital to check on that weird case that happened last night. Would Naruto and Sasuke want to come see what she did? Not like she couldn't give them access to her office and such, but she doubted they, or at least, she doubted Sasuke would want to come along. It would only be for an hour, maybe two, then she could take them out for lunch, and possibly see Kakashi. Maybe she would ask them later if there was anything they would wanna do. For now, she shifted her focus to her task at hand: making breakfast.

* * *

><p>Sasuke woke up hearing soft footfalls pass his room. He laid in bed staring at the ceiling, his brain still processing where he was. He remembered now: He was in Konoha, with Naruto, at Sakura's house. He sat up and used the washroom before deciding to venture downstairs. The soft hum of the kettle and the smell of eggs and sausage could be heard and smelled as he approached the kitchen. He looked over and rolled his eyes when he saw Naruto, barely on the bed, twisted up in the blanket and snoring- very loudly. He turned to his other side and saw Sakura looking over at something on the stove. She was humming slightly to a tune he didn't know, and she had a faint smile on her face. He didn't know what to think; on one hand, being in Konoha was almost suffocating and full of bad memories for him. On the other hand however, being here, with Naruto and Sakura made things more bearable. He wanted to leave, but he wanted to stay.<p>

Sasuke hadn't realized he was staring until he heard of squeak of surprise. Now paying attention to where he was, he surveyed Sakura: Short red sleeping shorts and a black tank top. Her arms, legs, and stomach exposed. It seemed fitting, given it was still fairly warm outside, but he also surveyed the small things; various small scars, some from which he remembered from their youth. She had a slender frame, but she was very toned, he could tell more easily now that she wasn't wearing many layers of clothing like last night. He moved up to her face. Soft features with piercing green eyes, auburn hair pulled into a loose bun, small pink strands from the ends of her hair slightly sticking out. Her fair skin tone only made her hair and eyes stand out more. "Oh, Sasuke, you startled me. I didn't know you were up." He heard her softly mutter, probably to not wake Naruto.

"Hn. I just got up."

"Oh, I see. Well, good morning Sasuke."

"Yeah…" He heard himself say. They stared at each other awkwardly for another minute before he sat down, resting his chin on one of his hands that was propped on the table.

"Did you want some tea while you wait?"

"Sure."

Sakura mentally sighed. Nothing had really changed. She brought a glass out and poured the tea and set it on the table for him to take before turning her focus back on breakfast. She didn't attempt to make conversation with him, knowing it would be rather pointless. She looked at the clock and softly cursed to herself. She had to get going. She layed out some plates and placed the food on the table. Nothing special; eggs, sausage, rice, steamed vegetables, raw veggies, and toast. She looked at the inquisitive look Sasuke gave her before deciding she would explain her rush once she got dressed.

A few moments later she came downstairs, dressed for work. She was dressed fairly formal, but she wasn't going to perform any surgeries, so she wasn't worried about needing to get through the hospital at a fast pace. Her hair was now in a loose ponytail that sat low on her neck, and she wore minimal makeup. A black pencil skirt with a peplum accent hugged her curves in all the right places. Her sleeveless polka dot blouse was tucked into the skirt, the bow on the front giving the outfit a more playful feel. Cross strap black heels were on her feet, and the sound of clicking from the heel could be heard as she grabbed her lab coat from the front closet. The only noteworthy thing on the coat was her hospital identification card.

Sasuke was at a loss for words. Something he found was happening more than he would like to admit. He half expected her to try and talk to him and inquire what he had been doing when he was away, but was surprised when she just ignored him. The cursing and sudden leaving to her room was also surprising, and the sudden wardrobe was more than Sasuke's half coherent mind could handle. He was about to ask before Sakura cut him off.

"So, I'm late getting to the hospital to check on that… incident from last night." She said softly as she was rummaging in her bag for things she needed. Sasuke vaguely remembered the conversation she had on the phone the night before.

"Anyways, I have to go in, check out his condition, fill in some paperwork, and call family and such. I was going to bring you and Naruto along, but right now there isn't enough time. Once Naruto wakes I would like you two to meet me at the hospital. It's only about three or four blocks from here."

"Hn."

She took that as a confirmation and grabbed a piece of toast off the table before heading out the door. Sasuke sat there, tea in hand, mulling over the events that had happened when he heard a certain knucklehead roll off the bed with a loud thud.

"Ow damn it!"

A half asleep Naruto trudged into the kitchen rubbing the back of his head and mumbling incoherently before looking over at Sasuke and the food at the table. He sat down across from Sasuke and grabbed some food and proceeded to start eating. "Where's Sakura?" he mumbled between mouthfuls of food. Sasuke rolled his eyes and proceeded to explain to him what Sakura had told him before she left.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke made their way to the hospital about an hour later. Naruto was babbling about one thing or another, but Sasuke wasn't really listening. He nodded occasionally to seem like he was paying attention, but he was deep in his own thoughts. He was surprised that they hadn't run into anyone they knew yet. Part of him wasn't keen on seeing them anyways, but the fact that <em>no one<em> had approached them that they knew weighed on his mind. He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't notice Naruto trying to get his attention.

"Sasuke."

"…"

"Saaaauuuussssseeekkkaaaayyy"

"…"

"Oi! Teme!"

"…"

Sasuke was brought back into reality feeling a hard punch in the arm. "What the hell was that for?!" He demanded, sending his best glare to Naruto.

"I've been calling your name for like five minutes now! You hard core spaced out. We're at the hospital."

"Hn."

Sasuke and Naruto both looked up at the Konoha Hospital. Other than a new wing on the right side of the building, there was nothing new or exciting about it. As they walked through the automatic doors they noted it was fairly busy for ten in the morning. Although it didn't surprise Sasuke, it was a hospital after all.

"I don't care what you have to do just get it done!"

The two men turned their heads to the direction of the yelling and noticed Sakura. She was talking to two other nurses. Her labcoat was closed and she had faint traces of blood on the front. Was that there when she left this morning? Sasuke couldn't remember. She looked fairly irritated, tapping her pen on the clipboard she was holding.

"What? When did the vitals change? And what about his leg? I see, are they preparing the plates and screws to keep the bones together? Good. Once that's done keep monitoring him, we have to ask about his injuries and what happened at some point, but we can't do anything while he is unstable. Thank you, please keep me updated if anything drastic happens." The nurses nodded and left, and Sakura turned and noticed the two boys. She smiled and approached them, taking her hair out of the bun and letting her hair fall to her shoulders.

"Woah Sakura-chan! You sure looked like you were in your element. That's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his arms around. Sakura chuckled at how exuberant he was, even in the morning.

"Thank you Naruto, it's nothing really, that patient from earlier has been unstable most of the morning, and we're just trying to figure out why our treatments aren't working. You both came at a good time actually. I just have to check on mom and then we are meeting Kakashi for lunch."

"Wait, your mom is here?" Naruto asked, Sasuke just raised an eyebrow, a common sign meaning to elaborate.

"Yea… We were in a car accident a couple years ago, and mom gets admitted frequently due to health complications. Come on, it's this way, I'm sure she'd like to say hello to you both." She signaled for the two of them to follow her to her mother's hospital room. She placed a hand on the doorknob before stopping. She looked over at the two of them, her eyes showed some sadness and seriousness in them. "Before we enter, I'm just going to warn you, my mother… she has been suffering from amnesia for the last couple years. I'm not certain whether she will remember you right away or not, but try not to react to anything she says that might not be a hundred percent true."

The both of them nodded and Sakura let them into the room. Haruno Mebuki was sitting up in the hospital bed in the middle of the room, looking like she had only just woken up.

"Good morning Miss Haruno, how are you feeling today? I have some visitors for you."

Naruto and Sasuke walked in, slightly put off by the fact that Sakura did not refer to her mother as 'mom'. Mebuki nodded and was about to say she was feeling fine before her eyes moved in the direction of the two males standing beside the doctor. There was a look of surprise and familiarity in her eyes.

"My my Naruto! Look at how much you've grown! It's been so long! And Sasuke? I'm a little more surprised to see you hear as well. How have you two been? Have you come to visit the graveyard?"

Naruto and Sasuke looked at Sakura, then to each other for a moment, not quite sure if they heard Mebuki right. In the end it was Sasuke who spoke up. "Why would we be visiting the graveyard…?"

"Oh, I-I thought you two knew… Sakura and her father were killed in that accident."


	4. Tactics

((Hey everyone! I'm glad I've gotten such positive responses to this story so far. I've got a couple plot twists but you'll have to wait and see ;D anyways, I have a little bit of an issue writing the three points of view. I really wanted this to be team 7 oriented, but my OTP brain takes over a lot of time lol. So fair warning, I will try to write more Naruto POV, but I write heavily from Sakura and Sasuke's POV, I can relate to Sakura a lot and I like writing angsy people XD. Either way, if you have any tips or comments please let me know!))

**Forgotten Years:**

**Tactics**

* * *

><p>Sakura had never seen her two old friends look so surprised in her life. Their eyes might pop out of their sockets if they weren't careful. But they heard right, her mother thought her daughter had been dead for three years. Anytime someone tried to bring it up, there was a lot of yelling and screaming from both sides, so Sakura chose to just go along with the story. The first two years was awkward and hard, and Sakura would be lying if she said it still didn't hurt, but there wasn't a lot she could do at the moment other than hope that her mother would one day remember who she was.<p>

The two men eyed Sakura carefully to see her reaction. Sasuke noted she looked… hurt. But there was a hint of acceptance in her eyes. He could see Naruto about to blurt something out and put his hand on the blonde's shoulder. They eyed each other for a moment, Sasuke trying to convey to him that it would probably be best to not say anything. Just then he caught her mother eyeing them, like she was waiting for them to say _something._ "I'm so sorry… We didn't know." Was all Naruto was able to say, all the while watching for Sakura to react.

"Well Miss Haruno, it seems like everything seems to be going fine today. Just continue to rest and don't hesitate to call myself or one of the nurses if you need anything."

"Thank you Ami, please show these two to where Sakura is, they were some of her closest friends."

"I promise I'll make sure they get to see her. Have a good rest of the day, Miss Haruno." And with that they were motioned out of the room by Sakura. After the door was shut, she immediately put her hand up to halt any sudden comments from the two. "My office." Was all she said as she began to walk towards her office just down the hall. Naruto was the first to speak once she closed and locked her office door.

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that?!" was all he could say. Sakura sighed.<p>

"I told you before we entered the room: my mother has amnesia. Three years ago Naruto, after you, _and_ Sasuke left, my father, my mother and I were driving to Suna for something related to my dad's job, when out of nowhere someone hit us head on and drove off afterwards. It was a good thing someone spotted our mangled car in the ditch. We were all unconscious, but my mom woke up shortly after we were all taken to the hospital. When she woke, she was told my father had died on arrival, and I was in a coma, and hadn't come to yet. They weren't sure if I ever would…"

Sakura paused, trying not to show the frustration in her eyes. She placed her hands in her lab coat pockets. "It destroyed my mother. I don't quite know what happened, since I wasn't awake, so most of this is what the nurses told me, but… my mother… she… she didn't want to go on living if her husband and daughter were both gone. So… she tried taking her life one day, a month after the accident. Ino's mother, found her and rushed her to the hospital. I woke up a couple days after she was brought in to stabilize her. Once I was more coherent and was able to comprehend what the doctors were telling me, I rushed to see my mother, only to find out she couldn't remember me."

No. Sakura was done with her tears. She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her right now. She looked over at Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto's look was solemn and sad; it was a lot for him to take in. She turned to Sasuke, his face stoic as usual, but something in his eyes told her that something was tugging at the back of his mind.

"For two years, I would come and try and convince my mother I was alive, but nothing worked. This past year… given up is the wrong word, I just… I stopped trying. Right now it was just causing more heartache for her and I. So I pretend to be someone else, and hope one day, she'll come to her senses and remember me."

Sakura sighed and rubbed her temple. She remembered the shock on her face the first time she heard her mother say she didn't know who she was. It crushed her. Of course, right after losing her two best friends, whom she regarded as family, she would lose her actual family. This sorrow, this frustration, this ache that tugs at the back of your head, was this how Sasuke felt when he was younger? She couldn't really grasp how he felt then, but now, she felt like she did, even if it was just a little bit.

"But Sakura-chan, how did your mom know we were here?" Naruto asked, he was hesitant, trying not to upset Sakura.

"A couple of the nurses here recognized you two when you walked in and began talking. My mother overheard two nurses and asked to see you." She replied as she went behind her desk and grabbed a duffel bag. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, which he realized he had been doing a lot more than usual. He didn't remember her grabbing a bag before leaving this morning. She hung up her lab coat and took her hair down and ruffled it slightly. "I was going to take us to see a certain teacher of ours for lunch, but, he's out on business right now, so it looks like we'll have to wait. And I'm done here for today, and we can pretty much do anything we want. What about some sparring? For old time's sake." A smirk from Sasuke and a 'boo ya' from an excited Naruto was all Sakura needed to see before grabbing her bag and exiting the building with the two boys.

* * *

><p>Naruto was elated at the thought of sparring and training with his two best friends. He didn't spend these three years just doing nothing! He wanted to showcase his new skills. They stopped at Sakura's place to pick up some clothes that were more suitable for sparring for Sasuke and himself. He was looking forward to a good spar with his mono-syllabic friend.<p>

Sasuke was enthusiastic to train as well, but he was intrigued that it was Sakura who suggested it. He thought back to when they were training with Kakashi as children. Most of the time when it came down to sparring it was a lot of just Naruto and himself sparring. Occasionally themselves against Kakashi. But he couldn't recall a time when Sakura seemed so enthusiastic about training. She mostly stayed on the sidelines, her analytical skills being her strongpoint.

Sakura was excited to put it simply. She didn't know when the three of them would have time to actually train together, since she still had no idea how long they would be here. So she almost saw Kakashi's absence as a blessing of sorts. They could all surprise him when he returned. She continued to perfect her hand to hand combat along with her medical studies. She had come a long way compared to when she was younger, but Naruto or Sasuke didn't know that.

They changed swiftly and made their way to one of the training grounds by their old academy. Naruto opted for his trademark orange coloured board shorts and a grey muscle shirt. When he moved, his stomach tattoo could slightly be seen. His Nike's a predictable combo of navy and orange. His right hand up to the middle of his forearm was wrapped with white training tape. Across his forehead was a black bandana, to keep the hair out of his face.

Sasuke wore similar clothing, opting for navy board shorts and a white t-shirt with his family crest on the back. His runners were black and red. Sakura was surprised to see however, that his upper right arm covered with a tattoo. It depicted a snake, along with a tree branch and black filler. It went up to his shoulder, and met with the mark he got about four years prior. It was beautiful, but for some reason, it looked unfinished. Like Naruto, his hand and forearm was taped, but it was his left hand instead of his right, and he too wore a black bandana around his forehead.

Sakura was way more body confident then she used to be. She wore plain black booty shorts and a red sports bra. She was petite, but despite her small features she still attained an hourglass figure. She was fairly toned, not wanting to look bulky and keep some femininity to her. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun once again and she had a red headband to keep strays out of her face. Both her hands were taped and she wore an ankle brace on her right leg, which was visible from her black and white Nike's. Much to her comrades surprise, she too had tattoos. On her back were a series of three Koi, each representing a member in her family, and on her left forearm was an umbrella of togetherness, yet there were no names attached to it. "So Naruto, how about you and I start?"

Naruto was surprised that it was Sakura who asked to spar first, but he was pumped to start either way. "Sure Sakura-chan! But I won't go easy on you!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, don't expect me to go easy either."

They stood across from one another, Sasuke being the judge for this round. They positioned into their respective fighting stances before Sasuke gave the 'ok' to begin. Naruto lunged head on, preparing for a right jab. Sakura chuckled, expecting a bold start from the knucklehead. She shifted to the side and grabbed onto his wrist, before prepping her own counter punch. Naruto noticed this as well and used his free hand to block hers. They exchanged blows at close proximity before breaking apart.

* * *

><p>Sasuke watched the fight closely. Sakura when she was younger was never one to openly want to spar, so it was a bit surprising. Along with her choice in attire; the Sakura he knew would be covered up and showing as little skin as possible. But the Sakura in front of him had no problem showing herself off. There was also an air of arrogance coming from her, which was also out of character. He analyzed her fighting, and wasn't all surprised by what he was watching. Her fighting style was basic and somewhat predictable after a while. And while she probably knew as well, when it came to physical strength, she was at a genetic disadvantage to Naruto. But despite Naruto being somewhat stronger and faster than her, she had one thing that gave her an advantage: that was her analytical and tactical skills, along with a strong will and brute force to her attacks. After a couple minutes she caught Naruto off guard and tripped him, sending him reeling backwards. The impact knocked the wind out of him and she placed a foot on his chest. Naruto looked up at her, sheer surprise on his face that Sakura had actually beaten him. That was definitely a first. He noticed however, that Sakura didn't seem pleased that she won.<p>

"You didn't fight with everything you had. Even though I know I've improved in the three years since I last saw you, I didn't expect to actually win."

"Eh heh heh… I didn't want to hurt you, Sakura-chan…"

That only annoyed Sakura even more. "How can your sparring partner improve if you hold back? That doesn't help anyone. I'm not the same girl you knew Naruto, I can take a hit."

"Then why don't you spar me next?"

Sakura turned her attention to the Uchiha, a sly smirk on his face. She was expecting Sasuke to wait and spar Naruto, but it took her slightly off guard when he offered to spar her. She knew he would _definitely _not go easy on her. At the same time, he was tactical like she was; he wouldn't try to beat her on strength alone.

"Sure, let's go."

* * *

><p>((oooooh cliffhangerrrrrr! Haha, anyways, this is also my first time writing fight scenes, and there's so much more I wanted to include, but I want to keep all my posts around the same length, so the next fight and stuff will be next chapter!))<p> 


	5. Happiness

((Sorry, I know it's been a while since I updated, but with the ending of Naruto, I was so happy that I kinda lost track of reality (and I most recently got in a car accident) and forgot about my story ^^" Oops. Also, I start school in two weeks so it may be long breaks before chapters as well, but I'll try and stay as regular as I can. On a side note, I will be referencing 'South paw' for Sasuke. It's stated in handbooks and his Narutopedia article that he is ambidextrous, but when asked for his dominant hand, he raises his left hand. A south paw stance is used usually for left handed fighters, but there are some right handed fighters that use a south paw stance. I'll be playing up on that aspect :P that and I will be using a Kaichou Wa Maid Sama reference as well, I wonder if any of you will pick it up ;D on with the story! Obvious note that I don't own Naruto or anything.))

**Forgotten Years:**

**Happiness**

* * *

><p>This would be the first time Sakura fought seriously against Sasuke. In the past her feelings for him overtook most of her thoughts, and she didn't put up much of a challenge for him; but, this time would be different. Even though in the back of her mind, she knew she still had a fairly low chance of winning, her chances were far greater now than all those years back. After a quick five minute break everyone came back into position.<p>

Sasuke was also somewhat excited for the match. He knew he had an upper hand, considering he had already gotten a chance to see her fight. Naruto could see in both of his friends faces that they were interested on who would win. As they took their respective fighting stances, Sakura's analytical mind took over and noticed the fact that Sasuke used a south paw stance. _'So, he favors his left side? Well, that'll make things more interesting'_ Sakura thought to herself. She could easily transfer into a south paw stance as well, but that wouldn't be any fun.

On Naruto's signal they began. As the fight progressed, Sasuke noticed, like in her fight with Naruto, her movements became somewhat predictable. _Left jab, right cross, block, duck, kick, readjust stance, punch, jab, cross. _He smirked, this was going to be too easy. During one of her right punches, Sasuke took the opportunity to use his right hand and grab her extended wrist, to throw her off balance; however, Sakura expected this and used her hand to wrap around and grab his wrist as well. She shifted her weight as she switched stances and used the momentum to propel her left hand forward. This surprised Sasuke, not quite expecting her to turn his attack back onto him, but her left punch was easy enough to block. _'Dang it, I thought for sure that would work.'_ Sakura thought to herself.

"Nice try Sakura, but I've got Aikido on my side." He said as he caught her wrist and head for a simple head throw to win the match. He was expecting a look of surprise on her face, but it confused him when all she did was smirk. The moment she felt the pressure on the back of her head, she dropped to her knees before she lost control and grabbed onto his arm with both hands and pulled him over her and onto the training mat. If only she could see the look of surprise on both Sasuke and Naruto's face.

"Sorry Sasuke, you may have Aikido, but I've trained in Judo." She mused as she moved to finish the fight. Sasuke scowled, he wasn't going to lose, and especially not to Sakura; however, Sasuke had the advantage. He took his foot to Sakura's stomach and flung her over him, before stepping over and pinning her arms and legs.

"That was a good trick, Sakura. But unfortunately, you have genetics at your disadvantage. I win."

Sakura frowned and thrashed against him, hoping to break out of his guard, but he had an approximate six or seven inch height advantage, and had a lot more muscle mass than she did. Stupid genetics. Different ways to escape his hold ran through her mind and she continued to try and escape. But after a while she stopped, breathing heavily. Sasuke was breathing heavily as well, but he would just add more of his weight in every time she thought she could break free.

"Fine fine, I yield." She almost spat at him.

He smirked and stood before extending his hand out to help her up. A small frown crossed his lips when he noticed the surprised look on her face at the gesture. Did she really think he wouldn't be civil enough to help her up? After a moment, she reached up and grasped his hand and he pulled slightly, helping her to her feet.

"Woah Sakura-chan! That was so awesome! You almost beat Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura chuckled softly and nodded. She was annoyed that she lost, but she never expected to do so well against Sasuke. It was harder than her fight with Naruto, because Naruto fought with all guns blazing, not really formulating a plan. But Sasuke was the same as her; he analyzed the movements of his opponent and countered effectively. He smirked, he was impressed at the amount Sakura had improved.

"What do you think I've been doing all these years? Just sitting at home doing nothing?" She joked, taking her hair out of its constraints. "Well, I'm going to get cleaned up, and then we'll head home and figure out what we can do for the rest of the day" They went into their respective change rooms to shower.

* * *

><p>"Come on teme, I can tell you're having a good time!" Naruto whined as he and Sasuke finished getting ready.<p>

"Hn. Dobe."

"Come on teme, admit it!"

"It's weird."

"What is?"

"Being… here. I left to find my brother, to question him as to why he left, to question him about our family. I got my answers, but, even then I didn't think I could ever return here."

"You know it's not a crime or anything to just leave right? It would've been alright!"

"Idiot that's not what I mean."

Naruto was beyond aggravated at this point. "Then what do you mean Sasuke!"

Sasuke ignored Naruto. He tried severing ties, thinking that if he left and continued on without friends, it would make it easier for him to concentrate on his goal of finding his brother. But it didn't matter whether or not he had friends, he was still miserable. He caught up in the wrong crowd and pushed everyone away. He didn't think anyone would want him back here. And he certainly didn't think that Naruto had set it up for them to stay at Sakura's place; he figured she would never want to see him again. She didn't seem too thrilled he was there, but she didn't seem against it either.

Naruto sighed and dropped the subject to finish changing. He didn't dress overly flashy, just plain acid wash jeans and an orange crew-neck t-shirt, with navy runners. Sasuke was dressed eerily similar, with dark wash jeans and a navy v-neck, with black sneakers and a black letterman's jacket.

He walked out with Naruto, him blabbering on about how he was kinda happy Sakura stopped dressing in baggy clothes when he stopped. He turned his head to look at his friend, then to where he was looking before he realized why Naruto stopped mid-sentence. There stood Sakura, waiting for them. He didn't understand why her presence was so shocking, but he felt himself staring every single time they saw her. She wore black skinny jeans and a white tank top, her red bra straps slightly visible. Tied around her waist was an over-sized red and black plaid shirt, and she had black combat boots on. Her hair was in a messy braid, still slightly damp from showering.

She caught onto their stares and blushed softly. "What're you staring at?"

"N-nothing Sakura-chan! It's just… you're not dressed very… very…."

"Feminine?" She inquired, finishing Naruto's sentence.

"N-No! well, not really…"

"Might be better for you to just shut up Dobe."

Sakura raised her eyebrow. "I get it, Naruto. I never dressed very girly when we were younger, and when I did it always felt weird. Now, it's more comfortable for me to dress feminine, but I like to be comfortable." She explained. She didn't really get why it was such a big deal to them. She preferred pants to dresses and skirts and boots to heels. The only difference from when she was twelve to now was she knew how to dress her body type better. "Now let's go, I would like to get home as soon as possible." The two boys followed her, and soon they had gotten back to her apartment. She smirked, Naruto and Sasuke were in for a big surprise.

* * *

><p>((UUUUUgh I'm sorry, it's not that great, but my mind is not quite here right now given the recent events in my life. These fights were also kind of a last minute thought, so yea. Everything else that is going to happen has been thoroughly planned out so stay tuned! ))<p> 


End file.
